The Savior
by StardustRebel
Summary: Alice's life has been anything but good since she became the second girl to save her brother from the Labyrinth. And on what might have been the last night of her life, Jareth comes to her rescue. Now that she's back in the Underground, things might just begin to look up. Rated for eventual sexual content.
1. The Almost End

Four years had passed since Alice had rescued her brother from the Labyrinth. Hoggle had mentioned that it was not by far the first time that a young child had been taken there. However, she was only the second teenager to have been able to rescue their sibling. He never did mention who the other girl was. But things had not gone up hill for Alice since that night. And now that she was twenty her life was anything but a fairy tale.

Alice lay on the floor of her dingy back alley apartment, clutching her stomach and shaking with fear. Her current boyfriend, Bryan, was not exactly the kindest of men. To put it bluntly he had an abusive temper. And he at this very moment he was looming over her, attempting to end this particularly brutal beating with the gun he had pointed at her. Tears streamed down her face as she waited for the end.

However, tonight would not be her last. And although she would never be able to recall exactly what happened next, she would be forever grateful.

Just as Bryan was about to pull the trigger, the small window behind him shattered from an unseen force, and glass clinked everywhere on the floor. He spun around to face the destruction behind him, and the last thing Alice remembered before she passed out from anxiety and fear, was a large, familiar owl swooping in through the window, clearly aimed at Bryan. After that, all she could recall was blackness.


	2. No More Trickery

Alice awakes with a start, the room around her refusing to come in to focus. Between blinking her dark eyes rapidly and shaking her head in an attempt to focus, she manages to make herself dizzy. Unable to do anything else she groans and falls back, expecting to land on the cold hard floor of her apartment. Instead her head meets several large feather pillows. This manages to startle her even more. Her eyes dart around as the room finally comes to focus.

The floor and walls are made entirely out of stone, and there is lavish furniture lining the perimeter. The large four post bed she is laying in, is placed in the center. She manages to sit up, supporting herself with her arms behind her. At the foot of the bed there is a large ottoman, and on top is a large suitcase that she recognizes as her own. She shudders as she remembers packing it, causing her what she could only assume was now her ex boyfriend to fly off the handle and beat her senseless. Yet she moves on and continues to survey her surroundings. She tucks a piece of dirty blonde hair behind her ear before flipping the large white down comforter off of herself and slowly letting her feet meet the floor. It takes a moment for her to stand steady, but once she does she rushes to the large stone balcony behind her. It doesn't take more than a second for her to recognize where she is. And how she got there, would remain a complete mystery for about five more seconds.

The large wooden door clicks behind her and she spins around to see who is entering, her stance automatically defensive. However, when the Goblin King himself, dressed in a casual black shirt and tight black pants enters the room looking a little worse for wear and very concerned, she softens her posture. He clears his throat before speaking, however his voice still comes out rather hoarse.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his tone surprisingly informal. Alice opens her mouth the respond but no sound comes out. Jareth shakes his head. "You've been screaming in your sleep for two days," he adds carefully, unsure of how she would react to this sort of news. Luckily she has calmed down some. However, when she tries to take a deep breath it becomes apparent that she had suffered some injuries. Jareth cautiously moves a little closer. "You also had two cracked ribs. I managed to heal them but you will be sore for a bit." Alice nods silently, unable to take her eyes off of him. Her heart pounds in her chest as the realization of what he has done for her comes in to sharp view. Before she can stop herself she rushes across the room and almost knocks him over as she hugs him around his waist.

"Thank you," she chokes, tears streaming down her face. He is completely caught off guard, and remains motionless for a moment. Then, to his own surprise, he wraps his arms around the small girl that is clinging to him. He rests his head on top of hers and rocks her slightly, rubbing circles on her back.

"You're safe Alice. He can't get you here," he says softly, attempting to calm her down. He steals a glance at her, and frowns when he realizes that she is far too skinny. The black sweatshirt she's wearing is barely hanging on to her shoulders, and it isnt't that big of a sweatshirt. He sighs again and places his hands on her shoulders, holding her back from him and giving her a stern look. "You've been through too much, and you've been asleep for two days. Do you want me to have the cook bring you something to eat?" he asks awkwardly, not entirely used to being the good guy for once. Alice shakes her head.

"I'm not hungry," she says simply, sniffling and using the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe away a few left over tears. Jareth gives her shoulders a light squeeze.

"I don't care. You need to eat," he says, his tone final. Alice stands there, unaware of how weak she looks. Unaware that she is shaking. Unaware of how sunken in her face is. But most of all she is unaware of just how close to her Jareth has been for the past four years. Lacking the strength to fight him on the issue she simply nods and looks defeated, her gaze dropping to the floor. It becomes quite apparent how weak she truly is when she attempts to turn and cross the room to sit back down on the bed. Her legs almost give way. Jareth smoothly slips an arm around her waist and grabs her arm to support her, and walks her over to the bed, sitting her down gently. "I'll get the cook," he says, turning to leave the room.

"Wait!" Alice exclaims before she can stop herself. Jareth turns to face her, raising an eyebrow. Alice bites her lip and recoils slightly, unable to make eye contact with him. "Is there, um, some way you could just have the food sent up and," she pauses for a moment. "Not leave?" she finishes, the request sounding ridiculous to her given the circumstances of their history. Jareth tilts his head, and Alice automatically feels embarrassed. When he sees her face turn scarlet he gives his first smile of their encounter.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he says, attempting to sound cheery for her sake. He flicks his wrist and summons one of his all too familiar crystals, and whispers something in to it. With another flick of his wrist the crystal disappears, and after a few seconds there is a knock on the door. He reaches for the handle, not taking his eyes off of Alice. Once open a small female goblin waddles in with a tray of food. On it is a salad, some baked chicken, a few cookies and a glass of orange juice. The scent of the food hits Alice immediately and her mouth automatically begins to water. The goblin places the tray on the ottoman and bows deeply. Alice gives the widest smile she can handle given her condition.

"Thank you!" she says, her voice getting a little stronger. The goblin looks up at her with excitement in her beady eyes. She returns the smile and scuttles out of the room, the door closing on its own behind her. Alice crawls across the bed and plops herself down in front of the tray. She picks up an ornate silver fork and starts with the salad. It doesn't take very long for her to get through the chicken and a few of the cookies. All the while Jareth is sitting in an arm chair across the room, watching her, his eyes completely fixed on her. Once she finishes she looks up at him and blushes. "I guess I was hungry," she says, wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin from the tray.

The two are silent for a moment before a slightly worried expression makes its way on to Alice's face. "The last time I ate any food here... um," she starts, but Jareth raises a hand to stop her. He shakes his head and smiles.

"That sort of trickery isn't me anymore Alice. Don't worry. You won't forget anything that you don't want to." His tone is so different than what she could remember. It was soft, gentle, caring. Above everything else it was genuine. There was no hint of a lie or a trick. Alice couldn't help but smile to herself. She is taken away from her thoughts however by the sound of Jareth clearing his throat. "If you would like to get cleaned up the bathroom is through there," he says, pointing towards a small door to the right that matches the main door. "Everything you might need is in there. I have something to attend to but I can be back before you're finished, if you like." Alice nods briefly before struggling to her feet.

"Promise you'll come back?" she asks, disgusted by how childish and pathetic she sounds. Jareth rises to his feet and puts his right hand over his chest.

"I promise," he says, bowing slightly. "I'll leave you too it," he adds before slipping out of the room silently.


	3. It's Only Forever

Alice sits motionless on the bed for several minutes, staring blankly at the door that Jareth had just exited through. She eventually pulls her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs, and sits for a few more minutes, taking it all in. Her mind races with pointless possibilities. At one point she even thinks she might have died and this was all that was left of her consciousness. She shakes her head hard, trying to shake all the negative thoughts out. In all it takes her about twenty minutes before she can slide off the bed and rummage through her suit case for clean clothes. Frustrated with the lack of choices she has given herself she pulls out a plain tank top and some jeans, along with the other necessities of female clothing. She balls it all up and shoves it under her arm before making her way in to the bathroom.

The ornate décor and vast selection of washes and shampoos doesn't even pull her attention. She has too much on her mind, and simply drops her clothing on the floor next to a lavish looking marble sink. Almost too roughly she turns on the tap in the shower, taking a moment to familiarize herself with the workings of it, and turns it up as high as it can go. She then crosses her arms over her torso and pulls her sweatshirt up by the hem, tossing it aside. She steps out of her sweatpants and peels off everything else, throwing it aside as well. As she makes her way to the shower she catches sight of her naked body in the mirror, and grimaces in disgust. She is far too thin, and covered in dark bruises. She turns her back on the mirror, peeking over her shoulder to look at the scars left by Bryans belt from a few months ago. Once the tears start to surface she turns away and steps in to the shower, immediately picking up a washcloth and scrubbing as hard as she can as if the bruises would come over.

Another twenty minutes goes by before she is satisfied. She turns off the tap and steps out of the shower, quickly grabbing a towel to cover herself, and then another to dry her hair. Once she is dry she rushes to put her clothing on, realizing she might be keeping Jareth waiting in the other room. She exits the bathroom, still patting her long hair dry, and scans the bedroom. Her eyes fall on the King leaning against the arch way to the balcony, arms crossed in front of him, lost in thought. She drapes the towel over the ottoman at the end of the bed before making her presence know to him with a simple and quiet "Um."

Jareth turns around slowly, his eyes shifting to the dressed and yet still slightly damp Alice. He gives her an awkward, crooked smile. "Feel any better?" he asks, his tone again oddly genuine. She nods slowly, still trying to feel him out for any sort of trickery or ulterior motives. "Is there anything else I can do for you Alice?" She stands silently for a moment, pondering his question.

"Yes," she begins cautiously. Jareth assumes an eager stance. "I would like to know why you saved me. I mean I know plenty of other people have come here from the Aboveground to save one child or another... why are you so concerned about... me?" She finishes her inquiry, and focuses on her feet right away. She doesn't see Jareth's lips thinning out or his brow furrowing. He doesn't answer right away, he just surveys her, wondering if he should give his full answer or the basic one for now. He decides to go with a little bit of both.

"This is true. I have brought many people here to play my little game. But you were the last, and the second person to ever solve the Labyrinth. The first girl to do it, Sarah, became very special to me after her trial here. That makes you, in a way, special as well." His explanation does not tell Sarahs story in its entirety, nor does it explain the true nature of his relationship with her when she also returned as an adult. Alice listens intently to his response, turning it all over in her mind. After a moment or two she nods slowly, obvious acceptance on her face. She can hear the sincerity in his voice, and she could tell it was not fake sincerity. He truly means what he is telling her.

The two stand in silence for what seems like an eternity. Neither of them look at each other for a long time. However, when they do finally make eye contact, something changes between them. A strange understanding is met. And unspoken understanding. Alice is the one to finally break the silence. "How long can I stay? I mean, my life in the Aboveground isn't worth much. I wouldn't mind staying here for a while... maybe even permanently if you'll have me."

Jareth flashes the first full smile of their encounter. He moves a few paces closer to the girl in front of him. He assumes his usual kingly stance "You may stay here, in the castle, for as long as you wish. Forever, if you so choose. After all, it's only forever, not long at all."


	4. I'll Catch You

_Okay guys this is a short one. Chapter 5 should be along soon I just thought ending this one where I did made a lot of sense. Thanks for the kind reviews, by the way. This fic is based of an RP I'm doing with a friend. So I would like to thank her for helping with the material. I'll try and get chapter 5 up soon. Thanks again!_

A month passes by in a flash. Alice has become quite accustomed to living in the Underground. She knows her way around the castle well enough, and has settled in to her room nicely. Jareth has been nice enough to have a writing desk moved in to her room in order to allow her to keep her current writing project a little more organized. However, there is one thing that has caught Alice slightly off guard. Over the past month she has begun to spend more and more time with Jareth. The two spend most of their days discussing various topics that the two of them find interesting. Their relationship, to anyone who sees it, is that of two old friends. Alice however is beginning to see something quite different.

After about three weeks Alice has begun to noticed something peculiar. Whenever Jareth would approach her, even in the most casual way, her stomach would flutter and her heart would begin to race. The more time they spend together the more intense these symptoms get. Today she has elected to spend a bit of alone time in her room. As far as Jareth knows she simply wants to make some progress with her writing. However, her plan is to figure out why her entire body acts strange whenever she sees him. In the end it doesn't take much time for her to figure it out. Jareth is becoming more than just a friend to her. The kindness that he has shown her, the similarities in their personalities and how he seems to watch over her and protect her in the smallest ways. She notices little things as well.

It is a well known fact that Alice can be rather clumsy at times. It doesn't take much for her to trip. Everyone she knows in the Aboveground always make it a point to laugh at her. Jareth, however, seems to catch her every time. There have been several times when he has saved her from her own two left feet. During the most recent incident Alice found herself lingering in his arms, her heart feeling like it is would burst. There is something about him that not only intrigues her, but enchants her.

As she sits quietly on her bed, the realization of her feelings hitting her like a ton of bricks, there is a stern knock on the door. Alice scrambles off the bed and rushes over to the writing desk, shuffling a few papers around, attempting to make it look as if she had been working. "Come in," she calls, struggling to keep her voice steady. The door opens to reveal Jareth standing behind it. He calmly enters and closes the door behind him. The look on his face suggests he has something important to discuss with her. However, there is also a trace of guilt. Alice looks over at him, curiosity in her eyes. "Everything okay?" she asks, still attempting to remain casual. Jareth shakes his head before speaking.

"I do apologize Alice. You are a loud thinker, it was hard to resist," he says, the meaning behind his words hitting her instantly. She focuses her gaze on her lap, blushing wildly.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she says, her head still down, her tone laced with embarrassment. Jareth takes a few steps towards her, cautiously lessening the space between them, as if getting too close to her would cause her to disappear. "Oh and um, it's fine. Don't worry about it.," she adds, biting on her lower lip out of nervous habit. A sudden burst of courage seems to come over Jareth, and within a quick moment he is standing next to her. He crouches down to bring himself to her seated level.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about Alice. I would be lying if I said I haven't felt a spark between us. I should probably tell you the last few times your feet got away from you was actually my doing," he admits, chuckling lightly.

"Why would you purposely do something to make me trip?" she asks, her voice slightly defensive. Jareth looks down for a moment, smiling to himself, before he looks back up at her.

"So I could catch you," he says simply.


	5. Baggage

Alice sits at her writing desk, unable to move, unable to speak. Jareth looks up at her with innocent eyes that threaten to make her heart melt at any moment. However, the lighthearted moment doesn't last more than a minute or two. Eventually, Jareth rises to his feet and turns away, sighing heavily and shaking his head. Alice tilts her head, looking at him curiously. "Is something wrong?" she asks nervously, unsure if she should be speaking. Jareth speaks without turning to face her.

"Alice I'm going to tell you a story," he says quietly, still not facing her. "I haven't told you yet because if this thing between us never happened, it wouldn't be necessary. But it has, and it is." Finally he turns to face her, sighing again, still shaking his head. "I'm going to assume Hoggle mentioned you are the second person to beat the labyrinth," he says wearily. Alice nods, unable to form words. "Her name was Sarah. She was around the same age you were when you first came here. When she left, I thought nothing of it. She had solved the Labyrinth and saved her brother. I was moderately impressed, but nothing more than that. However, when she turned 20, she wished to come back, for her own reasons. I obliged, and she stayed here for a long time. Years in fact. And we fell in love." He pauses for a moment, his expression becoming hard. He takes a deep breath before he continues.

"I still have a few pictures of her, and the two of us. We used to write letters to each other. It all seems so trivial now, but it kept us happy. We were together for a few more years... until she was murdered. The details of that aren't important now. But Alice," he says, crouching back down to her level once more. "Alice I'm damaged. And I don't want to lead you on thinking that I am perfect. We have become so close over the past month, and I don't want to mess that up."

Alice looks down at him, sadness in her eyes. "I... I am so sorry," she says quietly, her voice shaking slightly. She can almost feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Jareth says quickly. "I should have told you." Alice shakes her head to stop him.

"Jareth," she says slowly, leaning down slightly. "I'm not exactly baggage free either you know. About two years after the whole labyrinth thing... a man broke in to our apartment. I wasn't home at the time so I don't really know what happened. But I came home to find my mother and brother shot dead in the living room." She looks down at her lap as she finishes her story. "Ever since then I've been with guys who could give two shits about me because I just didn't want to be alone."

Jareth hooks his finger under her chin, pulling her head up to look at him. His eyes pierce through her, causing her heart so skip a beat. "You were never alone Alice. All you had to do was call me, and I would have come. I'm so glad you called when you did... I couldn't bear to stand idle any longer."

In one swift motion Alice flings herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing in to his chest. He holds her close, rubbing circles on her back. "You don't deserve the life you've had Alice. Please allow me to try and make things better for you," he says quietly. The only response she can manage is to hug him tighter. He smiles to himself and closes his eyes, relishing the closeness between them. After a few moments he pulls back and holds her at arms length. He places one hand on either side of her face and wipes her tears away with his thumb.

"I had a feeling this conversation was going to happen. I had the kitchen prepare a nice meal for us tonight." He wraps an arm around her waist and rises to his feet, pulling her up with him and supporting her. "Shall we?" he asks, motioning towards the door with one hand. Sniffing away the last few tears she nods. However, before she is lead out the door she stops.

"If you don't mind... I'd like to put on something nicer than jeans and a sweat shirt," she says quietly, the recent tears still evident in her voice. Jareth tilts his head for a moment before nodding.

"If you wish. I'll be back in twenty minutes or so. I'll knock." He flashes her one last smile before disappearing through the door.

Alice sighs heavily before rushing towards the closet and scouring her wardrobe for the nicest outfit she can find. She settles on a black off the shoulder sweater and a short black skirt that hugs her legs. She then heads to the vanity and attempts to tame her hair. After ten minutes of trying she gives up and throws it in to a messy yet somehow elegant bun. "A whole year in hair school and a whole year of working as a hair dresser and this is what you come up with Alice? Yeah good job," she says to herself. She sighs heavily, shaking her head at her reflection. However, before she can chastise herself further, there is a knock at the door. Immediately she perks up, rising to her feet and smoothing her outfit over one last time. "Come in," she calls.

The door opens slowly to reveal Jareth standing in the arch way. Despite how she feels about her appearance Jareth's face spreads in to a grin. "I'm glad I gave you the extra time," he says, approaching her slowly. "You look beautiful." Alice gives him a crooked smile and shrugs.

"I'm glad one of us thinks so," she says, laughing nervously. He quickly closes the gap between them and takes her hands in his. He places a kiss on her forehead, causing her entire body to tingle.

"Let's get some food," he says softly before putting an arm around her waist and leading her out of the bedroom.


End file.
